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A plaque commemorates Kenneth Towerton, a fireman with the South Brisbane Fire Brigade who was killed when fighting a fire in May 1950.

BRISBANE, Fri. Kenneth Towerton, 29, a South Brisbane fireman, crashed 100ft. to his death down a cliff at Kangaroo Point tonight while trying to put out a grass fire. He leapt unawares over the picket fence bordering the cliff edge to trample out the fire and hurtled down the jagged cliff face. Two other firemen were saved from leaping over the same fence just in time, when a spectator grabbed their coat tails and pulled them back to safety. Towerton could not see the edge of the cliff because of smoke, and so vaulted over the 4 ft. 6 in. fence. A rescue party later found him fatally injured at the bottom of the cliff. He was conscious, and laughed and joked, but died in the ambulance on the way to hospital.The Argus (Melbourne), 13 May 1950.

Location

Details

Monument Type:

Plaque

Monument Theme:

People

Sub-Theme:

Tragedy

Actual Event STart Date:

12-May-1950

Actual Event End Date:

12-May-1950

Dedication

Front Inscription

This Plaque Has Been Erected To
Commemorate The Memory OfKENNETH LESTER
TOWERTON
Late 2/5th Armoured Regiment, 2nd AIF. Kenneth 29, a fireman with the South Brisbane Fire Brigade, was tragically killed on the night of May 12, 1950, when he plunged to his death whilst fighting a fire in this area. Loving, caring and dedicated he was and always will be, an inspiration to others.